Since Facebook is banned in China, eMarketer assumes there are no users of the social network in the country.

Growth in the number of social network users around the world may be slowing, but it shows little signs of stopping, based on eMarketer’s latest forecast of internet, broadband and social network users worldwide.

This year, eMarketer estimates that 1.61 billion people will log in to social networking sites at least monthly, from any electronic device.

That is a 14.2 per cent gain on social networking numbers from 2012, and the double-digit growth is expected to continue for another year. By 2017, 2.33 billion people will use social networks, the research found.

Currently, the highest penetration of social network users as a share of total population occurs in the Netherlands, where 63.5 per cent of all residents are social network users; Norway follows just behind at 63.3 per cent.

Majority of residents in Sweden, South Korea, Denmark, the US, Finland, Canada and the UK also use social networking sites monthly. However, the fastest growth in social network usage is happening in “less-developed” markets.

For the study, eMarketer analysed quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of research firms, government agencies, media outlets and company reports.

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